Beyond words: symbolic interpretation and implementation principles of expressive arts in children’s life education

This study explores how expressive arts can be translated into children’s life education and implemented as meaningful teaching activities that support children’s emotional expression and understanding of life and death. While discussions of death and life are often considered difficult topics in childhood education, expressive arts provide a non-verbal and symbolic pathway through which children can explore and articulate their experiences. This study therefore aims to develop and examine expressive arts–based teaching activities that facilitate children’s engagement with life-related themes. The researcher designed and implemented a series of expressive arts–based life education activities involving sensory exploration and diverse artistic media. Data were collected from the researcher’s reflective journals, interviews with collaborating teachers, and children’s artistic works and process documentation. A systematic thematic analysis was conducted to examine two interrelated dimensions: (1) children’s subjective interpretations and emotional expressions related to life and death as manifested through artistic creation, with particular attention to the symbolic meanings embedded in colour, line, form, and multisensory experiences; and (2) how teachers’ pedagogical actions, material design, and learning environments shaped children’s participation, depth of expression, and processes of meaning-making. The findings are synthesized into two major strands. First, the study identifies interpretive dimensions through which children express life-related meanings in expressive arts creation. Second, it proposes three key principles for implementing expressive arts–based life education activities: teacher facilitation, openness of materials, and a process-oriented pedagogical approach. The study highlights the potential of expressive arts to facilitate the externalization of children’s subjective experiences and to support meaning-making around life and death. It also discusses practical considerations and limitations in applying expressive arts within educational settings.